Friday, December 18, 2009

Final Blog- What I think about the alcohol age?

I believe that alcohol age should not be bumped down. Just because some underage kids are doing it, it does not mean they should do so. Yes, it may seem that it is restricting a lot of teenagers choices but that doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing. We have to realize that, in reality, even MORE teenagers will do it if they are allowed to. This would only create more issues, compared to what we have already. If we do lower the age of drinking, it may get lower and lower each time. You have to deserve your rights to do the things you want; if you show that you cannot, then you will not. And it may sound babyish to many teens, but it is only true that we must make sure to put some rules on the table in order to not keep our children safe. And as they grow older, when they find how the world works and is, then they are able to do what they want. Teenagers will be teenagers and that fact will not disappear. It's not saying that they are irresponsible, but to say that they are still young and have so much to do in their lives. That's something we should not take away from the future.

"Because teens are simultaneously undergoing physical changes, peer pressure, and new situations and urges, allowing them to consume alcohol can make them more vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, unplanned and unprotected sex, depression, violence, and other social ills (1)."

There has already been cases where some states have lowered drinking age, and the statitics of alcohol-related crashes have occurred.

Lowering drinking age does sound like a reasonable idea, but it's important that we see the future of our children and where they will be. And to have this restriction is not a punishment; it's only to keep young adults safe.

1 comment:

Most states in the nation adopted a minimum drinking age of 21 soon after federal passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which required states to maintain a minimum drinking age of 21 in order to avoid a reduction in federal highway funds. The original intention of the law was to reduce the incidents of alcohol-related accidents among people under 21. But since passage of this legislation, and the raising of the drinking age in many states, the percentage of people who drink between the ages of 18 to 20 has skyrocketed. Many say the prohibitions have actually encouraged secretive binge drinking, more dangerous behavior, and less educational programming targeting this age group. Respected law enforcement officials and university presidents have recently called for changes in the federal law to permit states to lower the drinking age.

It's time for the nation to repeal these Prohibition-era laws and adopt a more intelligent, progressive, and educational approach to drinking among younger adults. These laws simply don't work, they aren't enforceable any longer, and if anything they are counterproductive. Literally millions of responsible young adults are already consuming alcohol and that's not going to change. What we need to do is stop wasting the taxpayers money chasing, charging and prosecuting responsible young adults who want to have a beer, and start putting the money where it ought to be, in promoting smart education about responsible drinking, and in pursuing far more serious criminals, including those at all ages who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.